CROSBY, MALKIN, STAAL, THERRIEN AMONG NHL AWARDS FINALISTS

Center Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins, goaltender Martin Brodeur of the New Jersey Devils and goaltender Roberto Luongo of the Vancouver Canucks have been voted finalists for the Hart Trophy as League MVP as the NHL announced Tuesday the nominees for eight annual awards.

Crosby and Luongo each received his first career Hart Trophy nomination, Brodeur his third. All three Hart finalists are nominees for multiple awards; Luongo also is a nominee for the Vezina Trophy and Lester B. Pearson Award, Brodeur for the Vezina and Crosby for the Pearson.

The winners will be announced Thursday, June 14 during the 2007 NHL Awards Television Special at the historic Elgin Theatre in Toronto (CBC, 8:30 p.m., ET).

For the first time since the inception of the NHL Awards Television Special in 1983, there are more than the traditional three finalists for an NHL trophy. A third-place tie in balloting for the Vezina Trophy, awarded to the League's top goaltender as voted by NHL General Managers, has resulted in invitations to four finalists for that honor.